The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-04-22
MRS. BRAY.

an. black eyed and Grim son cheek,
with q splendid bust, and arms which
she did not mind showing. / was a lit
tie pale creature, neither ugly nor pref
ty, but did not envy her. Let all the
men on earth admire her-one loved me.
If was fair in his eyes l cared nothing
for her.
The other girls were jealous at times.
Madge Burt and Barbara Brown declar-
cd that there was no such thing as get.
ting any attention from any one where
she was, and certainly she tried her
best to fascinate her. Militant Bray
was her name, and | understand that,
young as she was. she was a divorced
woman.
1t may have been that she was very
much ill-used by her husband, and had
been the injured party altogether
presume it is often so-but pure women
will bear a good deal rather than sever
the only tie that binds them to a hus-
bands side, and there is always e
doubt about a divorce. Some of the
ladies at Mrs. Horizons shrugged their
shoulders and wondered what the old
lady had been thinking of to take Mrs.
Bray in. The gentlemen, however,
fought in her defense. Beautiful, mu-
steal, fond of Irritation and apt at fiat
terry, she won her way into their liking.
For my part, l did not respect her n
whit. Ibid not see anything to love
in her, but l admired her. Unlike
most women. l always found myself
able to see the charms that men see in
a personally attractive woman.
But were l a man l could not do as
men do; fatter these firts at the ex-
peuse of true-hearted women, who love
them with all their souls. When good
Mrs. Carman went to her room with
tears in her eyes, leaving Mr.. Carman
whispering soft nothings in Mrs. Bray's
ear. and when little Efie Fay crimson
ed and trembled with anger because
her lover forgot her while he turned
the beauty's music and looked down in
her eyes, l often thought to myself that
those were poor triumphs after all, and
that those men who gave them to her
were but silly creatures. She liked
none of them. She Knocked them and
had little nicknames for each. She was
cold in heart as she was warm in man
ner. Her impassioned chances were
those of an actress and nothing more.
She gave these chances to my Harry
rs well as to others. but I had no fear
oftheir effect. OF course he knew she
was handsome and that she sang well;
so did L.
We had met at Mrs. Horizons. 1
was an orphan and taught music for
my bread; he was a young clerk in a
wholesale house. AZ our first meeting
we liked each other, and he was the
only lover / had ever had. When 1
gave aim my betrothal kiss 1t was with
lips that had never met those Of any
man before, and | was glad to think of
1t, We had been engaged three months,
and were to be married in the spring.
We were wrapped up in each other, and
concerned ourselves very little about
Mrs. Bray. did not. 1t pleased me
better to think Of better women. There
were others whose minds were continu-
ally running on her, however. jealous
Efie Fay could never quite forget her.
Over and over and over again she sat in
my room, with tears pouring down her
cheeks, and talked Of her.
sShc's a wretch" she declared, ga
bold. forward. cruel creature. She
knows Charlie IS engaged TO me. She
knows il. Isee it in her eyes; and she
works so hard to get him to herself.
Charlie doesn't know what he is doing
for himself. / shall break with him
yet and / do love him so. No one will
aver love him SO much.
Then she would cry again and begin
the old story Of Mrs, Bray's conduct.
Of her looks. her co~ntr,vances. her
becks and wreathed smiles. i felt sorry
for the child; she was but 16. ard sorry,
TOO. for Charlie. who was acting as
most foolish boys do under those cir
cumstanees. But M morn ng she be-
gan another strain.
Mrs. Bray is At work with your
Harry now" She said, ''and she'll twist
him round her hager soon, as she does
my Charlie. It's witchcraft those
women have-an unhoIy power Of some
kind. You'll see, Etheliyou'1l suffer